Former India opener Wasim Jaffer delved into the details of Virat Kohli’s dismissal during the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan cricket match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. The match, which ultimately ended in a washout during the second innings, saw Kohli’s early exit as he fell victim to Shaheen Afridi’s bowling. Jaffer provided insights into the reasons behind Kohli’s dismissal and suggested alternative approaches that could have been taken.
In the match against Pakistan, Virat Kohli’s innings were short-lived, as he scored only four runs before being dismissed. Jaffer pointed out that Kohli’s downfall occurred when he attempted to play a short-of-a-length delivery outside off without adjusting his footwork. This resulted in an unfortunate inside edge, causing the ball to deflect onto his stumps.
Jaffer shared his perspective on how Kohli could have handled the delivery differently. He mentioned that Kohli had tried to angle the bat toward the third-man area but faced difficulty when the ball stopped and ended up with an inside edge. Jaffer suggested that a more straight bat might have helped Kohli avoid this dismissal, particularly when dealing with swing and seam deliveries.
“He tried to angle the bat towards third man. But the ball sort of stopped, and he wound up with an inside edge. He might have avoided getting out if he had played the delivery more straighter,” Jaffer said.
The former Indian opener emphasized the importance of proper shot execution, especially when the ball is moving around. While using an angled bat to guide the ball toward the third-man region can be a successful tactic under certain conditions, it becomes riskier when the ball exhibits swing and seam movement. In such cases, the ball can unexpectedly jag back and dislodge the stumps, as with Kohli’s dismissal.
“You can easily score runs towards the third man when the ball is coming on to the bat nicely. If the ball is moving around, there is a danger that it could jab back and strike the stumps. Virat Kohli’s execution was poor,” he added.
Despite losing Virat Kohli early in the innings, India managed to recover thanks to a remarkable partnership of 138 runs for the fifth wicket between Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya. This partnership allowed India to post a competitive total of 266 runs in their allotted overs, contributing significantly to the team’s performance in the match.
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Wasim Jaffer’s analysis of Virat Kohli’s dismissal provides valuable insights into the technical aspects of cricket and players’ decision-making process on the field. While Kohli’s dismissal was a setback for India in the match against Pakistan, the subsequent recovery by the Indian team showcased the resilience and depth of their batting lineup.
